So you're buying that overt wedge shape that Alfa was pushing at the time, complete with the four small headlights set into the metalwork rather than floating in a grille of any sort.

The classic Alfa crest is there in place of a normal grille and the tail rises sharply to a strip of tail-lights that give the car a real presence on the road.

The best value Spiders now are the earliest versions of the body-shape, and that means you'll miss out on the later, more efficient JTS engine.

But don't worry too much, there's still nothing wrong with the Twin-Spark version of Alfa's classic twin-cam four-cylinder, and even though it's no drag-strip contender, it will keep pace with an MX-5 from the same era (in a straight line, anyway).

The one thing a Twin-Spark Spider can't do, onthe other hand, is change its own gears: The Spider was a five-speed manual or nothing, so if that doesn't suit, you need to look elsewhere.

We'd also be having a look at the colour (and level) of the oil on the dipstick.

A car with a low level or oil that is black and thick has probably been neglected recently, and that's never good news with a car like this.

Start the car and check the tailpipe for signs of smoke.

There might be a bit of black smoke as the engine catches, but there shouldn't be any grey or blue smoke, suggesting that there's internal engine wear.

With the engine running and up to temperature, carefully remove the oil filler cap on top of the motor.

A small amount of wispy smoke is OK, but there shouldn't be thick smoke of any colour being pumped out of this filler neck. Again, this is a pretty sure sign of engine wear.

Push the clutch in and select first gear. There should be no crunching or grinding noises and, if there are, you should suspect either worn gearbox internals or a worn-out clutch.

Once moving, try to select second gear while the engine is still cold.

Again, any hesitation or noise during the shift is bad news but actually quite common in these gearboxes.

The car shouldn't shudder on take-off either and you should drive along a freeway at speed in fifth gear and try to accelerate.

If the engine revs up but the car doesn't go any faster, you're looking at a new clutch in the very near future. The same goes for a car that smells like an underground railway station after a quick take-off.

Once you've completed the test drive, open the bonnet again and check for oil leaks.

The seller might have cleaned the engine before you arrived, but a decent run will sometimes reveal the leaks anew.

Try to work out where the car is parked overnight and check that patch of ground for small oil stains that also hint at leaks.

And although it sounds like generalising, Alfas are probably over-represented in crashes, so make sure all the panels line up and the paint is a uniform colour.

Cars as cheap as these are now are often covered by the skimpiest of insurance policies, so when something goes crunch, they're often fixed on the cheap. And it can show.

Italian electrics are a maligned breed, but often with good cause.

Make sure everything that is supposed to operate electrically does so and does so promptly and without smoke filling the cabin.

The convertible roof that gives the Spider so much of its theatre is also worth a check for leaks.

You'll hear air leaks at speed on a freeway, and water leaks are most easily detected by a trip through an automatic car-wash with you inside.

Check the condition of the tyres, too, and try to gauge how much material is left on the brake pads.

Both these service items can make an apparently bargain car less so if they need replacement next week.

Our rating: 2.5 stars

Nuts and bolts

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl petrol

Transmissions: 5-man

Fuel economy: 10.5 litres per 100km (city)/6.8 litres (highway)

Likes:

Cheap now, but only if it's a good one.

Engine feels rorty and sporty. Good fun.

Manual transmission suits the car.

An Alfa badge for second-hand Daewoo money.

Dislikes:

Age has wearied many of them.

As have crashes and poor maintenance.

Front-wheel-drive spoils the handling at the absolute limit.

Quality glitches not unknown.

Competitors:

Mazda MX-5 ? Not too many cars live up to their hype. But the original Mazda MX-5 is one of them. Great fun, tough and durable package and one of the sweetest cars of the last three decades. 4.5 stars

Toyota MR2 Spider ? Drop-top style with Toyota reliability ? too good to be true? Yes, a little. The build quality was there but the gaping hole in the MR2's specification was the dumbed-down, clutchless manual. No auto mode was a big mistake, too. 3. Stars

Peugeot 306 Cabriolet ? One of the better Peugeots of the past few years. With four seats and decent ride quality, the 306 Cabrio was a bit of an all-rounder. Watch out for completely worn-out examples that will be beyond economical repair. 3.5 stars